We love BC, but one half of us believe Gordon Campbell and ICBC are corrupt

Jul 30, 2003

A random survey of 1500 British Columbians throughout the province. The survey took place between July 27 and August 17, 2003. The margin of error is 3.5% 19 times out of 20, at 97% competency. All voters were pre-qualified in that they voted in the last provincial election.

Question #1

It is your opinion, or in the alternative, is it your perception that British Columbia is the greatest place in the world to live?

Yes

74 %

No

23 %

Question #2

If you were in the position to do so, would you leave British Columbia to live elsewhere?

Yes

12 %

No

82 %

Question #3

Over the past six months, the BC Liberal government appears to have initiated policies that are clearly not supported by BC public opinion. Which of the following choices best reflects your opinion of how this situation might be explained?

Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberal government are ideological and stubborn

31. %

Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberal government are corrupt

46 %

Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberal government control 77 of 79 seats in the BC Legislature and have a mandate from the people to do as they please

23 %

Question #4

Unconfirmed reports indicate that The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia is misrepresenting the amount of money they actually possess in their reserve account, and the actual amount is in fact significantly lower than normally allowed by law for Insurance Companies.
In your opinion do you believe that ICBC would intentionally mislead British Columbians and lie about its reserves?

Yes

45 %

No

36 %

Commentary

An overwhelming majority of British Columbians are of the opinion, or perceive BC to be the greatest place in the world to live. A small minority of respondents was inclined to say they would leave the province if they were in the position to do so.

Respondents in this survey overwhelmingly believe that Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals are both too ideological and stubborn on one hand to corrupt on the other. Recent cases involving fish farms and toxic dumping involving Corporations who donate to the BC Liberals does not help the public perception that corruption exists. A few respondents went as far as to say that they believed bribes and kickbacks might be taking place as an explanation for why the government is going in the opposite direction of the public. One out of five respondents would like to know more before they form any opinion.

Nearly one out of two British Columbians would not be surprised if they learned that ICBC did not have sufficient funds in its reserve account and that it is misleading the public with clever bookkeeping. ICBC has had a history of pretty strange policy making particularly ‘fairy tale’ policies like “no-crash no-cash”, (which has been a decade long fraud against the public). A large minority of respondents does not believe this is possible, many of these respondents had a difficult time accepting the possibility of such corruption in ICBC particularly after Glen Clark’s fudge-it budget. Would the BC Liberal government, desperate for cash, go to such lengths? Nearly one half of British Columbians think they would.